Yafteh

Background : Despite regular exercise benefits, acute exhaustive exercise elicits oxidative damage in liver. The present study aims to investigate the effects of a week aqueous Saffron extracts consumption on malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) Antioxidant enzymes alterations content of liver of young male rats following an acute bout of exhaustive exercise.

Materials and Methods: We randomly classified 48 Wistar male rats were assigned into following three groups 16 rats per group: 1) control 1 (saffron extract solvent); 2) control 2 (saffron extract solvent+ training); 3) experimental (aqueous saffron extract, 50 mg/kg + training).After a week, half of each group were killed without exhaustive, but the remaining rats (control 2 and experimental) were killed immediately after performed an acute bout of exhaustive exercise and SOD, CAT , GPx and MDA in their liver were measured.

Results: The MDA level and anti-oxidant enzymes activities didn’t change significantly, in the liver tissue in experimental group unlike control group of rats following an acute bout of exhaustive exercise

Conclusion: The consumption aqueous extract of saffron stigma in rats leads to the reinforcemen of the antioxidant defense system and prevented the MDA level and anti-oxidant enzymes defense system in the liver tissue of rats following an acute bout of exhaustive exercise.